


To you, From me

by sIRoDDbALL



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS (Video Game), ラブライブ! 虹ヶ咲学園スクールアイドル同好会 | Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai (Anime)
Genre: Christmas, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sIRoDDbALL/pseuds/sIRoDDbALL
Summary: A present to Emma from Karin. Subsequently, a present to Karin from Emma.
Relationships: Asaka Karin/Emma Verde
Comments: 11
Kudos: 48





	1. Prep Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay compulsory xmas fiiiiiiic
> 
> wanted to get this done asap but ended up wanting to write more cse I'm the S to my own M or something lolol
> 
> definitely will be done before the end of December or I'll eat my shoes

Emma's eyes glittered as she stared up at the cloudy skies. "Hey Karin-chan! Do you think it'll snow during our party?"

"Hmm, we don't get much snow, but the air's getting colder so who knows," said Karin, not wanting to rain on Emma's holiday cheer. 

"Ooh, I hope it does snow a lot! But only enough so that we can go outside and make snowballs. As much as I wanna make a snowman, Japan doesn't get enough snow for that, right? I don't want anyone catching a cold either. That goes for you too, okay?"

"I know, I know."

"Good!"

If Karin didn't get lost so easily, she was sure Emma would be skipping down all the way to the dorms. Instead the green scarf Emma wore bounced a little as she went on and on, capturing that child-like joy Karin loved to see from her.

"Oh! Hey hey, Karin-chan? Karin-chan?" She called out repeatedly. "Have you decided on your gifts for everyone yet?"

"Well, you could say that." Emma tilted her head. Karin couldn't help but chuckle at how cute that was. "I bought them already."

"Eh? Really? When did you do that?"

"Hmm, some time after my model work last week." She noticed her brows raised up before furrowing into a concerned look. "I had a work friend tag along, don't worry."

Emma looked a little more relieved. She always felt bad when Emma got needlessly worried, but that was because Emma worried too much in general. "Oh, I'm glad. That just leaves my shopping now."

"The party's in less than a week you know? When are you getting it done?"

"Uh, I'm going tomorrow actually…" As Emma trailed off, Karin knew something was on her mind. It was rare for her mood to shift suddenly like this. She pulled at Emma's shoulder a little to study her face better. A shy smile was shown. "Sorry, I'm doing alright."

Somehow that made Karin all the more skeptical. "What's on your mind?"

Emma's eyes softened and patted her head, setting Karin's own concerns at ease. "It honestly isn't too serious. Just a little silly," she said, followed by a giggle emphasized with her white breath. "You see, my little sister — the youngest one — was the first after me to get into idols too. She wanted to come with me to Japan actually. Of course, she couldn't, but I know that once she's old enough she'll be able to come here herself."

Karin said nothing but listened very carefully. As an only child, she never had much to add to sibling conversations with Emma aside from her own reactions. It was all she could do, but Emma didn't mind. 

"My little brothers love supporting me. I'm sure they'd be in the front row of all my live shows if they had it their way. They tried so hard to convince Mama and Papa to move here too." Emma's eyes turned up towards the skies. "But I think they'd have trouble getting used to the city along with all the differences between Japan and home. Especially Christmas celebrations."

Karin began to put the pieces together silently. "I could see that, yeah. Here it's more about romantic love than general love." Karin looked up to the skies as well. "Still, everyone is free to celebrate in their own ways."

"Right? The boys are still young though, so they might not understand that idea." Emma's giggles were a little louder now as she imagined the scenario. The grey skies were parting a little. "I was thinking about stuff like that and then, uh…" Emma trailed off once more.

"I see," Karin offered a smile of her own. It would never be up to par with the ones Emma gave to her, but hopefully it was good enough. "How about you get some presents for them too?"

Her eyes perked up immediately. "You think so? I mean, I was considering it, but I wasn't sure if that would be a good idea since it would get there late. And then, and then, there's so many things they'd like I don't know if I could decide on anything either!"

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "I don't think any of them would mind it being a little late since it's from their beloved idol big sister, right?" The flush on Emma's cheeks was affirmation of that. "And uh, if you're so worried about picking out something, then maybe…" Now it was Karin's turn to run away from her words.

"Then maybe?"

Karin pulled at her navy turtleneck and swallowed a lump in her throat. It sat heavily in her chest. "I-I don't have any work, so I could go with you." She couldn't read Emma's expression as she couldn't even look her in the eyes. "It wouldn't be much. Maybe we can go there together and look around for their gifts. Get something to eat too while we're at it. After that uh, you can get your presents for the club."

The ambience of the city didn't register in the silent bubble that held Karin and Emma alone. Karin felt the chill of winter through her gloves as they shook even after she put her hands into her jacket pockets. 

"You wanna come? With me?"

"I said so, didn't I?"

"Mm, you did," she mused. "Ehehe! Then it's a date!" Emma cheered, clapping her hands. 

Karin's breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes trained on Emma who was grinning from ear to ear. If Emma was happy, then it didn't really matter. "...Ahem," Karin coughed into her fist. "Yes, yes, I guess it is." 

With another giggle, Emma began walking again. "Good! Now let's get going before we get sick."

Karin couldn't help but smile with her. 

Once they made it to the dorms, Karin waved Emma off and entered her room. There, she leaned against her closed door and buried her face into her hands.

"Oh god, I did it… I really did it," Karin moaned. Her legs grew weak and she slid down to the floor gradually. "I can't believe I did it." Karin's cheeks hurt from smiling like an idiot but she couldn't stop. 

After finishing her holiday shoots all within last week, she'd been waiting and waiting and waiting for the right moment to try. Some inkling where Emma was free, a smooth transition into the topic of it, a way to make it ' _not-at-all-a-date-on-a-holiday-where-it-was-customarily-a-holiday-for-couples_ ' and just a hangout; no such opportunity existed until now. Karin realized that in and of itself was an excuse. She regretted waiting so long to get around to asking, but she really did it now.

The floor grew uncomfortable and Karin willed herself up. She stepped into her room and was met with the familiar chaos of clothes and magazines. "Oh, if we go out tomorrow, then Emma won't be cleaning up my room…" 

Karin couldn't figure out why she was so reliant on Emma. When it started becoming the norm was also a mystery to her. Before Karin knew it, simply imagining her everyday life without Emma left her in a pitiful state that no one should see, like her room. 

She slapped her cheeks lightly. "Get a hold of yourself. C'mon, relax." Her mind did the exact opposite.

Emma, who skipped about the snow free of mind, who smiled like everything was a miracle, who's single touch was that of the sun itself and made Karin's skin heat up wherever she touched her. Karin knew she was out of her mind for thinking about that kind of stuff, that she was embellishing some things a bit. But how else could she begin to explain Emma at all?

She fell into her bed. Karin paid no mind to her messy sheets and buried her head into them. "It's a date. She… she said it was a date…" Asaka Karin had an almost-Christmas date with Emma.

Not even Emma would ever see the Karin who screamed into her pillow that evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and then she exploded


	2. To Emma, From Karin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of their date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets pretend that I didn't rewrite this multiple times and then ignore how long this took me

Karin spent much of her evening making sure she was prepared for what the day would bring about. She drafted up a list of stores in the area that were having sales and had the directions ready on her phone at a moments' notice. Additionally, the chances of her getting lost on her own weren't so high since they'd been to Odaiba so many times already. With her tireless work last week, she was pretty certain that she wouldn't end up dipping too much into her savings. 

If there was anything she could never account for, that was Emma herself.

"Please Emma, think this through a little."

"But look at how fluffy it is! Look at how big it's eyes are!" Said beaded eyes stared her down from less than a hair's width. "What could be more perfect?"

"Big eyes for it's big head and body," she explained, gesturing to the fact that the stuffed sheep was nearly Emma's height. "Care to explain how we take it back? Let alone send it?"

"I-I know but!..." Emma's pout would have broken her down any other day, but not this time. Karin raised a skeptical brow. "Ooh, maybe you're right. We have so many sheep at home too. It would be a little redundant." She  _ sheep _ ishly scratched her cheek. 

Karin internally groaned at herself for that one.

After that, the cuteness of Emma holding that huge stuffed animal caught up to her. She grabbed her phone. "Still, a picture wouldn't hurt I guess." Before Emma could react, Karin took one of the confused Swiss girl with a faux sheep.

"Hey! No fair!" Her cheeks puffed up.

Karin secretly took another. "Don't worry. You look cute," Karin teased, turning on her heels towards the doors. "Let's keep looking around then."

"Ah, wait up!" Emma was at her side at an instant, locking hands with her once more. Her heart hammered against her chest, echoing in her ears. Karin zipped up her jacket a bit higher in hopes of muffling the sound. 

It was strange. Emma had always held her hand when they walked together. It was a pace that she had long gotten used to. Ironically though, having her glove held by Emma's mitten was all the more nerve-wracking. She attributed it to the change in context. Normally it was only a way to keep Karin from wandering off. Now, the weight behind intimacy for the sake of intimacy made it hard to get a grip on herself. 

She shook her head. More accurate was probably the growing crowd walking through the streets. Even with their joint hands, Karin couldn't help keep a closer eye on Emma. She had to remind herself not to squeeze too tightly; to not hurt Emma. Losing her in the crowd would be pathetic. She'd literally crawl into a hole and bury herself for getting lost on this date. 

In the midst of her storm of thoughts, Emma's hand left her own and a warmth wrapped itself around her arm. She snuggled up to her side. The brief panic overcome by the subsequent ease that Emma brought about so naturally to Karin sent her into a fit.

"E-Emma?"

She giggled in response. "This way we stay warm and we don't lose each other." Karin was doing an amazing fish impression but Emma paid it no mind. "Is that alright?"

Any semblance of an excuse died before it got to her throat. Weakly, Karin shook her head. "...do as you please." As horribly embarrassed as she was, Karin couldn't bring herself to pull away from it. In some way, everything felt incredibly surreal.

"Ah, over there!" Emma pointed in some arbitrary direction and took off. Karin had no choice but to run alongside her. She would've ran after her anyways.

Behind the chosen shop's display window was a small piano, only big enough to seat one person. It was accompanied by various decorative gifts, a plastic pine tree and a music box. 

Emma left her side and leaned in towards the glass. "This is perfect! It has to be this Karin-chan!"

She smirked and sighed loudly. "A piano would give us as much trouble as that sheep."

"Not the piano!" Her arms flailed about in frustration. "Meanie!"

"Sorry sorry~" Karin laughed it off and pointed at the music box. "This one, right?" Emma's pout was replaced by a cheeky grin. An idea came to Karin. "Actually, there are some custom music boxes you can get."

"Custom?"

"As in you can make the little jingle it plays. I don't know much about the details, but I'm sure Yuu and Rina-chan could help you." 

"Like, our songs? We can put our songs on it?"

"If it's gonna be a gift for your family, then I think your song would work the best." Emma's grin was all the brighter in response. "Then that settles it."

Upon entering the store, Karin only then recognized it from her research last night. While much of the items were on sale, the drop in price was not as steep as would be ideal for most holiday shoppers. In the midst of her reconsideration, Emma already had her eyes on one. It had a modest design which would be easy to decorate. That was more than likely what Emma had in mind knowing her as Karin did.

The light in Emma's jade eyes never left but dimmed upon further examination. "It's pretty expensive… I didn't think it would be this much."

"Let me see?" Karin walked up behind Emma and leaned over her shoulder. "Ahh, there might be more to these things than I thought." It was certainly a bit much, but nothing Karin couldn't handle; she came prepared.

In one fluid motion, she pressed against Emma's back and rested her right hand on her shoulder. She felt warmer than usual but Karin paid it no mind. Her other hand took the box from Emma, noting the weight behind it. Karin had assumed it was the type where one could simply upload a song into it, but perhaps the traditional, mechanical music box would hold more sentiment. 

"K-Karin-chan?"

Karin smiled and winked at Emma, "Let me take care of it," then strolled up to the register. 

Emma's own smile left after Karin bought it.

"You really didn't have to do that…" Emma chided. Her hot chocolate, topped with cinnamon and star-shaped marshmallows, sat untouched. 

Karin had recommended both this cafe and that drink after getting the gift. Karin thought to also mention how the cafe doubled as a bakery as well, seeing that was the main reason she wanted to bring Emma there. During it all, Emma's brows were creased in her downcasted gaze. 

"You don't have to worry." Her words did little to ease Emma's frown. "I managed to get him to lower the price for us anyways. That and give us the other things you need to work on it." 

"I guess." Emma mumbled, still having that guilty expression. 

Karin took a sip of her cappuccino to hide her pursed lips. She never expected kind and generous Emma to be all for the idea of Karin spending money on her. Still, having her look so sad because of Karin herself made her stomach churn. 

"Please don't make that face. I really don't mind at all. Far from it," Karin reasserted while reaching out to Emma's hands on the table. "Why don't you try your drink?"

Karin looked deeply into Emma's thoughtful eyes, pouring as much of herself into it for Emma to see. 

Emma finally conceded. "Right, you recommended it after all," she said, finally taking a sip of her hot chocolate. However long it had been cooling for didn't seem to matter as Emma's elated "Buono!" spoke for itself.

"Glad you liked it," she hummed as she took another sip of her cappuccino. "And I'm sure you'll enjoy the bread even more."

"Only if you don't buy them for me!"

Karin nervously laughed to herself. Honestly, if Karin could help Emma smile like always, just eating without a care in the world, then she'd be more than willing to do as such. But that wasn't what Emma wanted to hear right now. 

"O-Okay."

With that, Emma hopped to her feet and ran over to the display of baked goods. 

Karin was left to consider her next moves. Now that Emma got her gift for her family, she wouldn't be able to tag along with Emma when she gets presents for the club. That gave her the perfect opportunity to get her gift.

"I'm back!" 

The tray before them had Karin taken aback frankly. She expected a little pyramid of buns balancing precariously on top of each other. Instead no more than three laid in front of her. 

"Emma?" Karin studied her face for any signs of illness. No paleness nor flushed cheeks or strained gestures. Only Emma's timid smile. "Is there something wrong?"

She shook her head. "If I bought any more, I wouldn't have enough for later. Hehehe…" Emma picked out one of the bread rolls, one that had turned a caprese salad into a sandwich it seemed. "Here! This is for you." 

She was at a loss for words. "For me?"

"Yep. I know you have to watch your diet, so I saw this and thought it'd be perfect!" 

Karin looked at the roll presented to her. She didn't recognize it from her last visit, so it must have been some special or new item. The tomato and mozzarella slices along with the lettuce were exactly that of Christmas colors. It was enticing with both composition and presentation. Added onto the fact was Emma waiting eyes and she nearly lost to that factor alone. 

Karin sighed deeply and got up from her seat. "Keep it," she said, strolling up to the display of bread rolls herself. It didn't take long for her to find it and buy one for herself. She returned to a wide-eyed Emma. 

"But I-"

"You can eat that one. I've got one of my own now, so I'm paying for myself," Karin explained matter-the-factly. When Emma remained quiet, Karin took the first bite between them. "Mmm! I'd say you chose well Emma. Try it?"

Emma let out a similar sigh to Karin's earlier, though with a wistful smile. "Karin-chan, you're too sweet." 

Karin would argue that Emma would be even sweeter just enjoying herself.

Just as planned, Karin took a seat on the bench. She had a perfect view of the fountain lined with yellow and white lights. "I'll wait right here then."

"Are you sure everything will be okay? You won't wander off or anything?" Emma continued to fuss over her. Karin wondered how exactly Emma saw her.

"I'm not a child Emma. Everything's gonna be fine." Karin pushed the small of her back forward. "Go and get your presents, okay?"

With one last longing look, Emma finally left. "I'll be done soon!" The two waved at each other until Emma disappeared into the crowd.

Alone once more, Karin didn't leave right away. She couldn't help but reflect on the day; Emma had hardly smiled at her. Well, she did earlier in the day. After that though, they weren't the smiles that Karin wanted to see. She'd been trying to make Emma happy yet she only acted on her own terms, not Emma's. All she had been able to do was make her worried and unnecessarily upset over nothing. Rather than a date, it was more like Emma was babysitting for Karin. 

She watched her breath turn white and rise into the dark grey skies. "Maybe… I was getting ahead of myself." Immediately voicing that thought made her grit her teeth. Karin could lament later. Right now, she would see her plan all the way through.

Karin pushed herself up from the bench and pulled out her phone. Double-checking the directions, she slowly but surely made it to the toy store around the corner; the same store they had visited earlier. Karin honestly had no idea what present to get Emma until they entered that toy store. Emma already had so many stuffed animals of her own and even gave some to Karin. Still, Karin couldn't take her mind off that adorable sight. Probably because she made it her phone wallpaper almost immediately. 

She would have applauded herself for finding it by herself if not for the shuttered windows and a closed notice on the door. Karin squinted to read it, "...emergency… closed early. What kind of luck is this?" 

She almost wanted to laugh, or scream. Something between the two if she was allowed to do so in a public space. Karin inhaled deeply, exhaling all the same. She repeated this until her urge to mar her character dissipated. 

"There has to be another. Anything will do at this point!" She opened her phone once again. The other store that could have some collection of stuffed animals was much further away. Karin wasn't fazed one bit and took off in the supposed direction. If they got to the fountain from the left, then she just had to go right and then a few more turns. 

Walking along the one way street granted her confidence in finding the store. At a turn, she took a right as indicated but the supposed stores she would pass by were all wrong. Rather than a restaurant, there was a cafe. Karin turned around and took the other way yet it was the same situation. Summing it up to some weird naming decisions, she went through the first direction she took. After some time walking in that direction, Karin still couldn't find it. She couldn't even find her way back to the fountain if she tried.

Surrounded by unfamiliar names, the sea of people and different sights, Karin finally stopped. "I really did it, huh?" Not only did she not get anything for Emma, she got lost almost immediately. None of that would've gotten to her if she could at least have done one other thing to make Emma happy all on her own, yet here she was. 

The cold air finally pricked at her skin and Karin could only warm her cheeks with her gloved hands. Perhaps she really was colder than she thought because her touch didn't even feel like her own as she closed her eyes. Holding her cheeks now, she could easily pretend it was someone else doing that. She was pretending, however Karin really felt as if Emma's dark green mittens were holding her steady.

When she opened her eyes, the scenery hadn't changed one bit. The only thing that changed was her clouded mind. Karin pulled out her phone and admired the image of Emma with the giant sheep plush. She had also only now noticed the two missed calls from her.

Karin called Emma back. 

"Karin-chan! Where did you go?!" She shouted. "I thought you'd stay by the fountain, so where did you go?!"

Even if Emma was shouting loud enough to disrupt both of her eardrums, Karin couldn't be happier. "Hey Emma."

Emma leaned back against the red structure of the park. The four steel beams arched and overlapped with one another. Emma had chosen this spot for its vast greenery during their PV shots. "This place is a lot different with snow everywhere."

"Yeah," Karin nodded. "It's not like it's all that different from before though." She eyed Emma's bags that she still held. One had the music box and the other held the gifts for the club, including herself. Neither the size nor packaging gave away what it was. 

Karin dropped her eyes. "No difference at all."

After locating Karin, Emma urged her for answers but Karin couldn't say anything. She herself found it odd. The two of them silently walked away from the shopping district. Once they left, Karin felt it easier to breathe, easier to make conversation again. Beside Emma, Karin could relax. That was the only gift she wanted from Emma. 

But, what did she do for Emma?

"Karin-chan?" Emma called. "What happened?"

She pressed her lips against each other, searching her mind for the right words. There were no words. At least, nothing that wouldn't lead to Emma's worried face again. That meant there was nothing left to hide.

Karin walked up and leaned against the structure, right next to Emma. "However today came across to you I don't know, but I wanted this to be a good time for you. A really good one." She heard Emma catch her breath. "Everything seemed fine at first. A lot of things ended up going wrong though."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked quietly.

She let out a weak chuckle. "Whenever I tried to do something for you, you kept making that face," Karin poked her cheek. "Every time I saw it, it made me think that I had to do more. Nothing worked out though. I wanted to get that music box for you, I wanted you to eat well, and… I wanted to get you a present. Specifically for you. That was all." 

Emma's frown grew deeper. Karin couldn't bear to see it and averted her gaze to the ground once more. "I kept thinking about what was going on. Why was it easier when everything was like usual? Then I thought, if it's just me feeling like this, if it's all one-sidedness, that might explain it."

Emma pulled on her sleeve. She tugged at it to get Karin to look at her. "That's not true! I got really happy about going out with you today!"

"But Emma, you spent all your time having to mother me. I know you don't mind it, that you like taking care of others. Still," Karin grabbed Emma's shoulders. She didn't let her gaze waver for a moment. She wanted her to understand this more than anything else. "I want to support you more than anyone else. From the closest seat possible."

As Emma was stunned into silence, Karin kept her blue eyes in line with Emma's turquoise. If she could, Karin would stare into them until she could read and understand every part of her. 

She didn't have to wait long at all as Emma set down her bags on the concrete cleared of snow. "I'm not lying when I said I wanted to spend today with you." Emma's hands reached up and kept Karin's hands where they were. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go on a date, but you beat me to it." 

Karin nearly fell to the ground at that. Emma wanted to ask her on a date too? Was she actually dreaming?

"Today already felt like one big present to me. You didn't have to get me anything else."

Somehow it didn't feel real. Not only was that line really cheesy, but it was the exact line she wanted to hear after everything. "Are you sure?"

"Silly. I had a lot of fun today! Anything with you is fun because you're so kind and cool and also really smart and thoughtful and, and," Emma paused, searching for the right words to continue. "Oohh just everything! You're so many things!" She shouted. 

"Y-You're exaggerating…" Needless to say, Karin's blush was just as heavy as Emma's right now, and not from the cold. 

"It's true though. And I want to be closer to you, really. At the same time, I don't know how this works. I've never felt this way, so that's why…" Emma's voice grew to a whisper at the end. Karin strained to hear it but hear it she did. 

"Pft, what the heck?" Karin couldn't help but laugh loudly, not bothering to hide any of it. At the same time, she moved her hands to cup Emma's face, then leaned in until their bangs brushed against one another. "We were thinking the same thing, but we still misunderstood each other."

Emma's mouth was slightly ajar before gasping, "Oh, you're right! Hehehe," and laughed along with Karin. 

It was exhilarating to just laugh after all her needless worrying. Both of their worries, actually. It was as if the winding knob had kept turning and turning for hours on end and Karin was finally allowed to release all that pent-up energy. Emma always did this to her, and she loved it frankly.

Neither was sure how long they had stood there laughing. They only calmed down once a light snowfall began. A snowflake melted on the tip of Karin's nose. "So?" Karin prompted. "Where do we go from here?"

"Hm? Home?"

"No no, I mean," Karin pointed back and forth between them, "with us."

Emma made her mouth into and 'O' shape before mulling over her answer. "Is it alright if we go slow?"

"More than alright."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked frantically, mimicking Karin from a few minutes ago. 

She let out another laugh. Even now, Emma was a worry wart. "I'll say it again and a hundred times after that. I'm telling you I'm happy about that. Are you happy about that?"

Emma searched Karin's face for any twitches or indication of hesitation. There was none and she closed her eyes. "I am."

She dropped her hands and took Emma's left into her right. Karin took the initiative to carry the bags herself. "Then that settles it," she said, affirming it with a kiss on Emma's wrist. "Is this okay?"

Emma, surprisingly enough, was at a loss for words. She simply nodded, bit her lip, and put her other hand to her chest. "Do you know how to get back?"

"Not at all," Karin stated. "Can I count on you then?"

"Of course."

Slowly, the two walked back to their dorms. Karin felt eyes on her all the while, and responded with longing looks herself. 

Each time, Emma was about to say something but kept herself quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if I don't get the next chap done tmrow I'll eat my shoes. I prefer not to make that bet with myself any more than I have


	3. To Karin, From Emma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaahadhahadhashd 
> 
> I hate that I couldn't get this out sooner, but given how much I decided to write I've only got myself to blame.
> 
> I've got a plate of old sketchers waiting for me at some point down the line...

By all standards, their party was relatively calm. All that was left after that and their aimless conversations was to clean up.

Karin finally got to the end of a string of tinsel before noticing the absence of a certain girl. She saw that certain someone's continuous staring at the table centerpiece. Her green daisy studded earring was bigger than she took it for initially. 

"Emma? Aren't you going to help out? I still can't find the ceiling under all these decorations."

She snapped to attention. "I-I am! But, your snow globe is so pretty!" Emma's eyes returned to said snow globe. 

It wasn't really a snow globe as it exchanged the traditional winter wonderland for space itself in a dark indigo. What would have been snowflakes now took on the image of stars in the setting. It didn't seem right for stars to move around as they did within the globe all things considered, but it was a pleasant sight nonetheless.

"I-It's not that great of a gift. At least, I didn't intend for everyone to get so hypnotized by it." 

Karin thought more highly of Emma's. She adjusted her necklace every few minutes just to admire the blue hydrangea. It wasn't real, obviously. She more so admired the effort Emma took to paint it; to have unique accessories, flowers and colors for everyone.

An arm looped around her neck suddenly. "Give Emmachi some slack! No better time than the _present_ to enjoy yourself, am I right?" She exclaimed, still on her pun high. The orange lily adorning her hair tie bounced about with her energy.

Karin sighed. "How forced…"

"No need for that resting _Grinch_ face now, eh?" At that moment, from across the room, Yuu promptly burst out laughing and fell to the floor.

"Ai-senpai. You're actually killing her."

"Kasukasu, don't you mean I'm _sleighing_ her?"

Her broom flailed wildly. Any more violently and both her sunflower and starry hairpin would fall off. "Arggh! It's Kasumin! And she is begging you to stooop! Your show is already over."

"Show's over but the party doesn't stop here!"

Setsuna slid up to the two discreetly. "The party is also over. Please help clean up, both of you." 

Karin silently stepped away from the back and forth they were having and continued taking down the decorations with Emma doing the same. Kasumi and Ai resumed sweeping alongside Setsuna. Ayumu, Kanata and Yuu were cleaning up the dishes while Rina and Shizuku took care of the chairs and rearranging the room. 

A year ago, even two years ago, Karin couldn't imagine a Christmas like this. 

"Does anyone have room for one more bread roll?" Yuu asked everyone. 

Emma was the first to raise her hand, once again leaving Karin to do the work. If Karin didn't know any better, she'd assume Emma was trying to get out of clean-up duty entirely. In truth, Emma was really _that_ easily distracted by hanging out with her friends. 

Karin never got seriously mad over it, though it made her work right now heavier than it should have been.

"Mmm, buono! Karin-chan! Try it, try it!"

She offered a mirthful smile. "Well, since it got the seal of approval…" Karin squinted at the roll. The puzzling dark purple filling sent her stomach into doing backflips. Karin darted her eyes about, finding Setsuna fixated on her snow globe as well. "Was this, a Setsuna original?" She whispered, to be safe.

Emma did the same, "Kanata-chan told me she and Kasumi-chan adjusted it during Ai-chan's pun roulette and Shizuku-chan's movie. It tastes good to me too, so I think we're okay."

Karin now sighed from relief. "Excuse me then," she mumbled. It was only when she bit down that Karin noticed the indirect kiss that they share. The roll was surprisingly good but Karin almost spit it out right then and there. She quietly choked it down, trying her best to restrict her facial expressions.

"Ah, you have some of it here," Emma pointed to her own cheek to indicate where. Karin wiped at it and licked her finger. 

She must have missed some or it smeared her skin as Emma pulled out her newly received handkerchief. The pale green was a good choice by Ayumu, who then embroidered it with a loaf of bread in a more saturated green. Similarly designed was Karin's gifted handkerchief as well with a dark blue scheme and a single heel instead of bread. 

"Did you like it?" Emma asked.

Karin nodded thoughtfully. "A bit sweet, but my compliments to Kanata." 

Before Karin could go into Emma tunnel vision, Kanata's voice rang out clearly in the large club room. "Heey, don't let the food keep you two from cleaning. Don't wanna let your juniors do all the work, do you?" 

They both jumped at that and noticed both the confused and the mischievous looks everyone was giving them. She cleared her throat loudly and continued to clear the ceiling the best she could alongside Emma.

It was a little saddening to have to put it all away, but she was more than satisfied with their party today. What kind of killed the sentiment was the sheer volume of what had to be removed. When Karin took down a streamer, she had to make a whole lap around the room before finding it crossed over with a group of precariously hanging ornaments. If there was anything the first years were good at, it was being over-the-top.

"Karin-chan?"

Karin was taking down another star as she heard a faint call for her name. She looked around and heard it again, louder this time. 

"Hey, Karin-chan?" 

It was Emma. She waved her hand discreetly. Karin put away her decorations into a box and offered her ear. 

"Is it alright if I stay in your room later?"

"Hm? You cleaned up already."

"I know," Emma smiled. "...So, can I?"

Then it hit her. Karin wasn't actually sure what 'it' was, but something definitely 'hit' at that second. Her heart palpitated at unhealthy rates. She had more than enough experience to reign herself in for these specific scenarios.

"Well uh, do as you please," Karin coughed into her fist, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. She realized doing that ironically worked against that front but no one was really paying attention. "Let's hurry and finish cleaning then." 

Honestly, she had no idea why Emma wanted to come over. Karin knew of the cliches, of course. Whether that was actually what Emma was intending or not was a mystery. She knew when Emma was feeling down. She knew if Emma enjoyed something. In the same beat, however, the reason for either could catch her off guard. 

To ease her anticipation, she stood up on a chair and took down the nearby ornaments and a set LED light strings. Upon pulling one of the strings, all the decorations in that spot fell from the ceiling. Karin scrambled to catch as many as she could in her arms. Emma was back to her side with another cardboard box and caught what Karin couldn't with it. 

"...How many boxes is this now?"

Emma opened her mouth to answer. Karin never got one.

"Aaaaah no! Karin-senpai! Emma-senpai!" Kasumi cried out suddenly, then covered her mouth. Everyone stopped in their clean up to see what she was screaming about. Realizing the position she was in, Kasumi dropped her hands. "Th-Th-That's-" She pointed a shaky finger above Karin's head.

"Hm? What are you screaming… at…" Karin's eyes followed the imaginary arrow and she just about fell off the chair and catapulted her present across the room. 

Right there hidden by the cacophony of tinsel was a mistletoe of all things. 

Karin felt the heat rise from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears. Her legs wobbled with the chair as she tried to get down. Emma was in a similar situation herself as the contents of the box subtly jostled about in her grip.

"Alright. Who's joke is this?" She demanded . 

Without hesitation, Rina and Shizuku nonchalantly pushed Kasumi forward. Karin glared at her, which would have been far more effective had she not become a tomato.

"Listen, we had a bunch of decorations. It would be a waste to not use all of it, would it not? Everyone should behold Kasumin's taste in interior design… decorating. Whatever it is!"

"No one else would've known it was there except for the person who put it there in the first place." Karin searched her expression for underlying intentions. Kasumi's eyes darted left and right trying to escape her judgement. "And I must say, that was a very elaborate set-up for the big reveal. I wonder how you were gonna pull that off?"

Kasumi whistled to herself. "D-Details, details. Anyways, since you took my kiss away from, uh- I mean, anyways. You gotta kiss a certain someone now!"

Before Karin could respond, Ai and Kanata decided to chime in. "Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her!" Kasumi joined them, much to her dismay.

"You three…" Karin rubbed her temples. "Someone, please say something."

No one said anything. At least, not directly to her.

The mumblings of Setsuna were incomprehensible from where she was in the room. All that was audible were the rises in tones followed by a sudden drop in them. Ayumu and Yuu were too busy trying to calm her down.

"Rina-chan board… ah, I don't have one for it yet." Rina held up a blank board.

Shizuku was dead silent. The smile on her face painted the illusion of composure which had shattered as her cheeks were as red as her bow adorned with a cornflower.

"...Emma?" Karin turned to her. She'd been quiet this entire time, silently fiddling with her fingers. Karin reached out to Emma. "We don't have to-"

"Whatever Karin wants to do," Emma faced her with a huge grin, "I'm okay with."

She retracted her hand. "Seriously?"

There Karin stood as the centerpiece of the situation. Stuck between her word to Emma and her desires, Karin had a hard time deciding what to do right now. All eyes in the room were on her and Emma alone. Emma, who she only had a date with recently. Emma, who was willing to do whatever Karin wanted to do right now. 

Simply put, there was no smooth way out of this. If Karin was blunt, kissing Emma would be everything she could ever want. 

She steeled herself, standing up straighter as if tied to a metal pole. "Fine," Karin resigned herself and timidly put her hand on the back of Emma's head. The earrings Emma made for herself suited her well. She imagined how adorable Emma would look with that and her red locks flowing freely over her shoulders. 

Before anyone in the room could make a sound, she planted a kiss on Emma's forehead.

"Oh, come on! You- mffh!" Ai promptly covered Kasumi's mouth with her bicep.

She'd love to kiss Emma for real. But not like this. Not when they said they would take it slow; it had to be a proper one, at the right time.

Slowly she pulled away and watched Emma's reaction. Karin hadn't noticed that her eyes were closed from the sudden contact. When Emma opened her eyes, she blinked rapidly as if waking herself up before hiding her face behind her hair. 

Tame as that was, Karin still felt her cheeks glow up like a Christmas tree. "Ahem!" She pushed herself upward on the chair once more, ripped the mistletoe off the ceiling and threw it into the box. "I think I've done enough cleaning then."

"Wait Karin-senpai! That-"

"-was a kiss. End of story." Karin huffed and collected her belongings. "It was a great time, really. But I'm gonna head out now. So uh, I'll see you all later." With a flair of her coat flaps and a pull of her scarf all the way up to her nose, Karin left the room.

"Karin-chan! Wait up for me!" She slowed her pace until Emma was at her side. Immediately her arm was taken into an embrace. "Hey, you aren't upset, are you?" Emma's sudden question didn't surprise one bit. "You didn't have to if you didn't want to… no one wanted to make you mad."

How could Karin ever be mad when Emma pulled out the puppy dog eyes? 

As they stepped outside, Karin patted Emma's head with her other hand. "I'm not mad. A little annoyed if anything, but I'll properly apologize to them."

Emma said nothing more and simply hummed in response. In such an instance, Karin knew better than to force any conversation. The snowfall was minimal at best that evening with the occasional snowflake landing before their feet and melting soon after. 

The silence stretched longer than she anticipated, however, as they made it to the dorms without another word.

Emma hadn't let go of her until Karin rested her hand on her door handle. "You'll be coming over, you said?"

"Mhm. I'll drop off everything first." 

"Alright then." Just as she pressed down on the handle, Karin heard her name. 

Again, it was Emma, who only shook her head and headed to her room. "Later then!" 

Karin could do nothing but watch Emma's back retreat down the hall.

It didn't take long for Karin to hear the rhythmic knocking on her door and let Emma in. Karin had assumed that Emma would only be staying for until night time like always yet there she stood in her sleepwear like herself. She still had her earrings on like how Karin still wore her necklace.

"Y-You're gonna be spending the night here?" she stuttered out.

"I can't?" Emma was sleeping in her room then.

Calm and collected Karin sat on her bed and shuffled to the side. She patted the space next to her and Emma quickly snuggled up to her. 

"Did you get to talk to your family?"

"We got on a video call before the party. I told them they'd get a present and some hints but nothing else."

"I see."

Once again, nothing was said. As Karin racked her brain for something adequate to put into words, her phone buzzed to life.

Karin had assumed it was another overly kind response to her apology message. Seeing it was Kasumi, Karin sighed through her nose. "That girl…"

"Hm? What did she say?" She tilted her phone for Emma to read it.

_heeey super sorry about earlier didnt mean to make u mad it wasnt meant for u☆⌒(≧▽°)_

_ok off topic so dont u DARE tell anyone this_

_but I was wondering if like_

_have you kissed anyone before_

"Eh? Is this…"

"Little Kasumin sure likes to make things complicated for herself." Karin closed her phone without another thought. "I'll respond tomorrow."

"Aah, so you are mad then!" Emma laughed and poked at Karin's cheeks.

"Not particularly," she hummed with a grin.

As Emma's laughter echoed in her room, Karin was reminded of the quiet walk. Emma bordered on asking her something and then turned on her heels in an instant. To still not understand Emma enough to support her; that left Karin feeling sick. She racked her head, but frustration could only be so productive.

"Karin-san, I look up to you so much I think my posture is getting better!" A muffled Rina suddenly rang out. Karin snapped to attention, meeting with Emma hugging her grey penguin.

"What's that for so suddenly?"

"Because you were staring at it!" She hadn't realized how deep in thought she was. Karin twirled a lock of her hair. "Isn't it cute? Mines said she couldn't bear to imagine the club without me! Rina-chan's such a sweetheart."

There she went, trying to cheer Karin up from herself. It usually did wonders to bring her to peace. Not now; not when Emma was the one who needed it more. 

"How did you find Shizuku-chan's movie?"

"Hm? Oh, I had some trouble trying to read the subtitles at the same time. Still interesting though."

"It was tricky for me too because I couldn't read some of the words. But I liked when they sang in the rain! And Shizuku-chan explained everything really well afterwards."

She was listening to Emma, but she couldn't respond to her at all. If she wanted to support Emma, Karin had to say something. "E-Emma-"

Emma jumped to her feet and ran to the window before she could get another word out. "Karin-chan! It's snowing! It's really snowing!" Without a second to spare, Emma opened her window widely. Thankfully for the both of them, there was no breeze to speak of that would invite any snow into Karin's room. The cold air still nipped at their skin.

"Emma! At least wear something else," Karin scolded and draped the coat she wore earlier over her form. It fit around Emma quite well. 

"Thank you!" She smiled brightly. Karin remained by Emma's side and watched the scenery with her. The sky was a dark blue, almost dark purple if she was gonna be specific. They couldn't see any stars in the city, but the snow falling resembled stars.

Emma began to hum a melody without warning. Karin quickly recognized it and joined her. She wasn't as good at harmonizing as Emma was. It was still fun to try anyways. All it took was some music for Karin to calm down. 

"I want to sing it already~"

"We only heard it today. Yuu still has to work out the rest of it."

"I think she's almost done if she made it her present to us. She'll be able to finish in no time."

Karin found herself smiling at that. Had she not gotten to know Emma at all, she would call her blind faith and wishings to be too childish. Emma certainly had preserved her childish traits, but so had Karin to some extent.

With outstretched hands, a snowflake floated gently into Emma's open palms and she smiled wistfully at it. "It almost like I caught a star." 

"How so?"

"Doesn't the sky look like your snow globe? If that's the case, these have to be stars!"

"Is that so?" Karin crossed her arms. She just about lost count of the amount of times Emma brought up her gift. And just like when that snow globe was shaken, the wind picked up which let the snow enter her room. 

"Karin-chan. Come in closer," Emma asked and did just that on her own. With Karin having to put an arm around Emma to come as close as the smiling girl wanted, the coat managed to fit both of them. "Are you feeling warmer now?"

She matched Emma's grin with ease that took even herself off guard. "Of course I am."

The two fell quiet again and stared up at the sky. The pause in conversation didn't last long for Karin found her voice. "Is there something you want to tell me?" From up close, Karin felt Emma's sharp inhale. "I won't force you to say it or anything-"

"Do you want to kiss me, Karin-chan?" The snowflakes continued to fall.

Karin blinked once. Twice. A third time. Once more, firmly. She wasn't waking up. She wasn't hallucinating. "Eh?! Are you sure about this? Why are you asking me this?! Didn't you want to go slow?"

The gravity where Karin stood became ten times as heavy and she couldn't deal with the sudden pressure. Emma hadn't noticed or was amused by her predicament for she continued to smile. "I'm asking if _you_ want to. You did it under the mistletoe and after our date, but what about a proper kiss?"

It was then that Karin decided to pull at least half of herself together. After taking some time to collect her breathing, she confessed, "I do. I've always wanted to. O-Only when you're ready though."

Emma hummed in response and nothing more. More snow piled up on the rooftops, yet it didn't feel any colder. She attributed that to having Emma basically in her arms with how close they were.

"...What if I said I'm ready right now?" Her hands turned Karin's head until she couldn't see anything else but Emma. Just as easily as she was the only one who could make her fall to pieces, Emma built Karin back up with one look. "What would you do?"

She froze and was brought back to the day of their date. Karin wanted to say everything at that moment. "Well… I, that is… something like, I-I don't know… I don't really know." Her mouth moved quickly but incoherently.

Unlike back then, none of her feelings could take form with words alone. They fell and melted the moment they hit the ground. Any amount that managed to pile up would eventually do the same under enough heat. Words could never be enough. She hadn't realized how tightly she balled her fists until she relaxed them.

Karin reached one of her hands up and rested on top of Emma's. She was pulled in by a weak magnet and concentrated on the girl before her getting closer and closer. Karin had never noticed how similar Emma's irises were to herself. They were still different. It was like a mix between the far blue skies and the green horizon she'd imagine when Emma talked about Switzerland. 

Her heart was beating out of her chest and it never felt better.

The tip of their noses brushed against each other and Karin paused. Her thumb made half-circles over her skin. "Emma, you're shaking-" 

The rest of Karin's sentence died in her throat as a pair of lips overlapped with her own. The faint scent of lemongrass clashed against the taste of peppermint but Karin didn't dwell on it for it left as quickly as it came. There was a hint of sweetness if she concentrated on it. She wanted another one.

Karin muted her desire as Emma buried herself into her shoulder. She shuddered from a slight breeze and circled her arms around her body. 

"You smell like lavender."

"T-Thank you?"

"Do you remember what I said?" She whispered. "That I haven't felt this way about anyone else before?"

"Y-Yeah." Karin rubbed Emma's back. The coat had fallen off at some point but Karin had hardly noticed.

Emma's hair tickled against her neck. "That was partially why I wanted to go out that day; to figure out if it really was like, _that_." Karin let a laugh rumble in her throat. If it was that or cry, Karin would rather laugh. She was pretty sure both were out of happiness.

A finger traced the metal chain of her necklace. 

"When you got lost, I started thinking about a lot of things. Would I get so scared that I'd start running around the district until I was out of breath for everyone? Why did I want to see you more than everyone else? I still didn't have answers yet, but you already had it figured out." Emma's voice grew quieter, like she was talking to her from a distance. "I wanted to know as soon as possible."

"I'm not sure if I even figured everything out yet. However," discreetly, Karin smoothed out Emma's hair. "I don't mind waiting. Not one bit."

"That part of you is exactly why…" Emma reeled her head back to show her flushed cheeks and longing eyes. Ever so slightly, she felt Emma's breathing on her nose. Karin had never seen Emma look at anything the way she did now. At her. "You've always done so much for me, and each time, I think about how much you like me." 

"Eh? Was I that obvious?" She couldn't help but ask that burning question. Emma tilted her head back and forth before shrugging. Karin groaned at herself. 

"Honestly, I'm glad you were. All this time you've been right there doing your best for the both of us, and I haven't been able to respond properly."

She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "Do… you have one now?"

"Mm, I think so. After a call with my siblings this morning, and then the party, I think so," Emma repeated. She fiddled with the plastic hydrangea. "Or maybe it's not everything I want to say, but it's what I want you to understand before anything else." 

"I'm here to listen then."

Emma mumbled to herself before she spoke carefully, making sure she accentuated each syllable correctly. "Talking with my family, making presents for everyone, even being alone. No matter how busy I was, my thoughts lead back to you. You were always on my mind."

Asaka Karin almost squealed out loud.

"I wondered if you would like what I made for you. I wondered what kind of gift you got. I wondered if you would get along with my siblings, maybe the youngest sister. I wondered if you'd come over if I called you. Even if I was across an ocean, if you would make it."

She could die right now and still be the happiest person on the planet. It must have shown on her face with Emma's own beaming smile. "So, does that mean?..."

"Karin-chan, I love you!" In spectacular, innocent, Emma fashion, Karin was taken into an exuberant hug. "And, merry Christmas. Your present, is me."

This was her first experience with whiplash. With every fiber of her being, Karin pushed her shoulders and held her at an arm's length. "Emma, me too. Merry Christmas. But don't say things like that so casually."

"What do you mean?"

"I should be asking you that question."

She put a finger to her chin, contemplating her own words. "I mean I'll do whatever Karin-chan wants," Emma announced proudly with an unreadable smile. "Because I'm not leaving your side the whole night." Karin couldn't tell if Emma had deeper intentions or if it was really gonna be a regular sleep over. Regardless, her phrasing was still bad for her heart.

If it were any other day, Karin would have a multitude of ideas for the two of them. At worst, some borderline risque stuff all to see Emma turn as red as her hair before apologizing. If it were earlier in the day, perhaps a small lunch date. She also considered teaching Emma some poses since the girl often worried about her posture. 

None of them felt right; not at that moment. The chill of the winter night caught up with both of them and Karin shut the window. "Come here then?" She guided Emma to her bed and laid down beside her; nothing more. Karin didn't even bother to pull the sheets up.

"This much is enough. You don't need to do anything else. We'll just, keep moving slowly."

Karin closed her eyes, but not to sleep. She was well awake as Emma undid her braids and turned to lay on her right side. "Not even another kiss?"

A smirk came to Karin once she realized her influence on the girl after so many months. Karin turned to face Emma and initiated the kiss this time. The sweetness wasn't the same but just as addictive. Lemongrass faded into lemon with a new smell of lavender. The second kiss wasn't much longer than the first yet her heart beated at the same quick pace. 

"So? What are you going to tell Kasumi-chan?"

Karin scoffed. "Probably something along the lines of 'Sorry for the late response, too busy making out with Emma, thanks for the mistletoe, good luck with your kiss'. That should help."

"You'll send poor Kasumi-chan into shock!"

"I'm kidding, mostly."

Her sarcastic tone was enough to send Emma into a fit of contagious laughter. It felt good to laugh without thinking about much. She enjoyed it on their date, so doing it again in the comfort of her room was even better. When their laughs finally died down, Karin heard light snoring that wasn't her own.

"You can't sleep already, jeez," she said under her breath as she pulled up the sheets over their bodies. It was difficult to make out her form, but Karin managed to tell Emma what she wanted to tell her above else.

"Love you, Emma," she whispered. "Thanks for the present."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> with this I have successfully revealed how cheesy I am at heart
> 
> Probably won't be able to write as much with new semester starting up soon but who knooows :p


End file.
